Playpen



Dec. 28, 1954 P. M. sKRMETTl 2 697 843 l PLAYPEN Flled Feb. 26, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet nu# `h F/g./

Fig. 2

Pau/ M. Skrmeff/ INVENTOR.

Dec. 28, 1954 Filed Feb. 26. 1953 P. M. sKRMETTl 2,697,843

PLAYPEN 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 54 52 Paul M S/rrmef/ INVENTOR.

BY WWWMW United States Patent O PLAYPEN Paul M. Skrmetti, Biloxi, Miss.

Application February 26, 1953, Serial No. 338,949

1 Claim. (Cl. 5-99) This invention relates to a safety enclosure for babies and small children and is especially adapted for use as a portable play pen or bed for use on family picnics or at the beach, while being equally useful and quickly set up in any room in a home.

The primary object of this invention resides in the provision of a portable safety enclosure for babies and young children which may be quickly assembled and disassembled, which is capable of being stored in a space of a relatively small compass, and which is very light in weight because of the use of a resilient meshwork which also provides protection against injury should a small child fall against such mesh.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of means for supporting mosquito netting or the like above and about a play pen or bed, the means for supporting the mosquito netting also serving as tie rods for deltlachably securing the elements of the play pen to each ot er.

Still further objects of the invention reside in the provision of a safety enclosure for children that is strong and durable, simple in construction and manufacture, constructed from a minimum number of parts, which may be manufactured readily and inexpensively out of a variety of easily obtained materials, and which is highly attractive in appearance.

These, together with the various ancillary objects and features of the invention which will become apparent as the following description proceeds, are attained by this play pen, preferred embodiments of which have been i1- lustrated in the accompanying drawings by way of example only, wherein':

Figure l is a perspective view of an assembled play pen comprising the present invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective View illustrating the play pen in its disassembled state;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken along the plane of line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the plane of line 4-4 of Figure 3 illustrating the manner in which the perpendicularly abutting side panels of the play pen are secured together by the tie rods;

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional detail view illustrating the construction of one of the side panels in greatest detail;

Figure 6 is a sectional detail view taken along the plane of line 6--6 in Figure 4 illustrating the means for lockingly securing metal ears in a framework which is constructed of wood; and

Figure 7 is a perspective view illustrating a composite metal framework having the ears integrally formed with the framework.

With continuing reference to the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals designate similar parts throughout the several views, the reference numeral 10 generally designates the safety enclosure for children or babies comprising the present invention. This safety enclosure may be used as a play pen but is equally adaptable for use as a childs bed and may be formed of any suitable size and configuration.

The play pen 10 is preferably rectangular in shape and is formed from a plurality of side panels 12 each of which is provided with a peripheral framework 14. A kick plate 16 may be formed at the bottom of the framework 14 if it is desired to prevent damage to the panel by the kicking action of a child in the play pen. The frame` work 14 may be formed of wood or any suitable metal and an upper horizontal frame member 18 may be provided at the upper edge of the kick plate 16. The framework 14 and the frame member 18 may be provided with grooves as at 20 for reception of the kick plate 16 which maybe formed from plywood if the framework 14 is made of wood or which may be formed from a suitable sheet metal if the frame 14 is metallic. Secured to the peripheral framework is an open-Work or mesh 22 which may be held in place within an inner peripheral recess 24 formed in the peripheral frame 14 by means of peripherally extending strips 26 secured in place by screws 28 or other suitable fasteners. Alternatively, the netting or mesh 22 may be knitted about the framework or may be tacked to the framework if such is desired.

A base 30 may be provided and may be formed in sections which may be optionally hinged or pivotally secured together as at 32 or which may simply be assembled without any hinges or pivot heads. The base 30 may be provided with recesses 34 in the corners thereof. If the frame 14 is formed of wood, ear members 36 may be secured within slots 38 in the framework 14 by means of screws 40 which may extend in either direction depending on the configuration of the frame and which threadingly engage the ears 36 to hold them in position. The ears 36 are provided with apertures 42 therethrough in the portion thereof extending beyond the vertical edges of the framework 14. Obviously, the ears 36 are vertically staggered to permit adjacent ears to overlap. Tie rods 44 are positioned so as to extend through the ears 36 to lockingly hold the side panels 12 in their desired relationship. The tie rods 44 may extend into the recesses 34 in the base 30 to lockingly hold the entire safety enclosure in its assembled relationship.

Optionally, the tie rods 44 may extend above the top of the panels 12 and may be provided with loops 46 at the upper ends thereof so as to both provide means for easy insertion and withdrawal of the tie rods 44 and also providing means for supporting suitable line 48 which may be used in tying the rods together to further reinforce the entire structure, the line 48 also providing means for supporting mosquito netting above and about the entire play pen.

With reference to the structure as is disclosed in Figure 7, it will be noted that herein there is provided a framework 50 having a netting or open meshwork 52 secured thereto. Ears 54 are similar to the ears 36 and are preferably integrally formed with the framework 50 and apertures 56 are further provided for reception of the tie rods 46. The framework 50 is preferably used when it is desired to form the play pen out of any metallic substance.

Since from the foregoing the construction and advantages of this play pen are readily apparent, further description is believed to be unnecessary.

However, since numerous modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art after a consideration of the foregoing specification and accompanying drawings, it is not intended to limit the invention to the precise embodiments shown and described, but all suitable modifications and equivalents may be readily resorted to which fall within the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

A portable safety enclosure for children comprising a plurality of vertically extending side panels arranged in perpendicularly abutting relationship, each of said panels including a peripheral framework, a flexible, non-metallic resilient meshwork secured to said framework forming a closure for said framework, ears extending from vertical edges of said framework, apertures through said ears, and tie rods extending through said apertures in said ears detachably lockingly securing said panels to each other, a base for said enclosure, recesses in said base, said panels being supported on said base with said rods extending into said recesses, said tie rods being of greater height than said panels, the upper ends of said tie rods being provided with loops, and means extending through said loops tying said tie rods together, said means supporting mosquito netting above and about said enclosure.

(References on following page) References Cited in the le of this patent Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Willard Aug. 1 1854 5 Millings Sept. 26, 1882 Hooper June 7, 1887 Baird Oct. 25, 1892 Number 4 Name Date Williams Apr. 30, 1918 Kohn July 5, 1921 Catino June 3, 1924 Auty Nov. 2, 1937 Pottenger Apr. 18, 1939 Bartlett Jan. 1, 1952 

